"When your child does something wrong, instead of immediately yelling or disciplining, take a deep breath and count to ten. Children need to know they are loved, regardless of how many mistakes they make."

My name is Hannah Romero, and I am a 28 year old mother of three (ages 6, 3, and 1). I never really thought about how many kids I would have, or how I would handle the many situations that would arise when raising children. Being a mother is stressful, and I often forget to take a moment when something goes wrong. I will admit that I am that mother that yells and goes straight to discipline. Though, as I continue this journey as a mother, I'm changing and growing just as my children are doing right before me. I'm changing even more as I learn to handle my oldest son’s behavior. My son is sensitive...he has food allergies, skin allergies, and has difficulty following direction. I find myself yelling at him often because doesn’t listen. It's only recently that I started to realize yelling isn't the answer, for it only upsets my kids and causes me to feel guilty. I wish I could say I came to this conclusion sooner, but I'm just glad for the realization all together. It's very difficult for me to refrain from yelling as this was how I was disciplined--yelled at and spanked. So as I adjust my approach to parenting and change a behavior I learned, I am not only benefiting my children but myself as well. I'm trying my best to give my kids all that I never had growing up...just being talked to and listened to is one of those things. Together, we're learning to talk about our feelings and actions. I'm hoping this will help with understanding the consequences that are a result of certain behavior, leading to better behavior and less yelling. The inspiration for this blog came from the above quote (one of the many inspiring phrases in The Mommy Journal: Letters to Your Child).